Aerosol valve which also functions as a pressure filling means



' BY RICHARIS A.MELLGREN AM aw /4M ATTORNEYS,

TIONS NS FERRY, JR.. LVE WHICH ALS S A PRESSURE FILLING MEA Filed 001;. 17. 1961 R. T. AEROSOL VA Nov 24, 1964 United States Patent 3,158,297 AEROSQL VALVE WHIQH ALSQ FUNTIUNS AS A PRESSURE FlLLiNG MEANS Royal T. Ferry, In, Southport, 601123., and Richard A.

Mellgren, Freeport, N.Y., assignors to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, (101112., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Get. 17, 1%1, er. No. 145,614 Claims. (11!. 222-394) The present invention relates to an aerosol valve and more particularly to such valve in combination with a container for a pressurized fluid which is adapted to be dispensed in the form of a spray mist or as a foam depending upon the container contents.

In devices of the character set forth the containers usually have an open top to which the aerosol valve is attached either prior to or after the propellant, usually a low boiling point fluid, is charged into the container. Where the propellant is charged into the container prior to attaching the valve, the procedure is referred to as cold filling which requires the operation to be carried out under refrigeration i.e., at a temperature below the boiling point of the propellant. Where the propellant is charged into the container after the valve has been attached to the container the propellant in fluid form under high pressure is forced into the container usually through the valve stem upon unseating the container valve and this procedure is referred to as pressure filling. Due to the small dimensional limitations of the valve stem and the passages the ein pressure filling has been heretofore relatively slow. To increase the pressure filling rate special types of valves have been devised for charging the propellant into the valve chamber. These valves have not proved to be entirely satisfactory because either of their higher cost than conventional valves or of imperfect operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve for aerosol dispensing which obviates the objections to prior valves.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved valve for aerosol containers in which the pressure fill passages are independent of the discharge passages.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction of valves for aerosol dispensing which can be completely assembled by the valve manufacture and used as assembled for either cold filling or pressure filling of aerosol containers with the propellant medium.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a valve assembly or unit as set forth in the preceding paragraph which will be simple in construction, efiicient in operation and which can be manufactured and sold competitively with conventional cold filling valves.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, not specifically enumerated, and the novel combination of parts will be readily understood from the detailed description which follows when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in elevation mounted in a container shown in fractional diametrical section.

FIG. 2 shows a diametrical sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG. 1 on a greatly enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 shows a transverse section taken along the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the relationship of the valve assembly parts during the charging of the container with fluid under pressure.

FIG. 5 is a view analogous to FIG. 2 showing a modi fication of the invention.

PEG. 6 is a plan view of a spring employed in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

" 3,158,297. Ce Fatented Nov. 24, 1964 housing 12 having a chamber 13, an elastomeric sealing washer 14, a valve member 15, a spring 16 and a container closure member 17.

The housing 12 adjacent at its upper or outer end is formed with an external peripheral flange 18 having chamfered corners 19 and at its lower or inner end with an axially projecting nipple 21. The inner wall of the housing 12 which defines the chamber 13 has axial portions of different diameters 20a, 22, 23 and 24, the diameters 241a and 22 providing a shoulder 20 and the diameters 22 and 23 providing a shoulder 25 and the chamber walls.

below said shoulder 25 is formed with slots 26 which extend diametrically across the bottom of the chamber and axially along the walls 23 and 24 thereof. Upon shoulder 24) seats the washer 14 and the wall providing the chamber portion 20a confines the washer and provides a leak-tight seal therewith, is of smaller axial dimension than the washer and serves to prevent excessive deformation of said washer under external charging pressure or excessive swelling when subjected to solutions which cause swelling. The housing may be formed of any suitable material, preferably a synthetic resin which may be molded, such as nylon or the like, which is inert to substances intended to be discharged from the container.

The sealing washer 14 is preferably flat and may be formed of any elastomeric material which is not adversely aifected by the substances intended to be discharged from the container and has an outer diameter substantially less than the diameter of the flange 13 on the housing and has a central opening 27 therethrough.

The valve member 15 has a solid or closed inner end 28 formed with a downwardly extending axial projection 29 and an upwardly extending hollow cylindrical stem 31 which is open at its top and is slidable in the opening 27 of the washer 14 with a leak-tight fit, said closed endof the valve having an upwardly extending annular flange 31 spaced radially from the lower end of the tubular stern and providing therewith an annular channel 32 and the inner end of the tubular stem 30 is formed with an orifice 30a communicating with said channel. Like the housing 12, the valve member 15 may be formed of any suitable material such as nylon or other synthetic resin which is inert to the substances to be discharged from the container.

The container closure member 17 is of cup shape form and has a central re-entrant tubular part 33 and an outer peripheral bead or flange 34. The tubular part 33 surrounds the periphery of the sealing washer 14 and the periphery of the flange 18 to provide passages between said peripheries and the tubular part and has its. free end formed as a flat flange 35 overlying the sealing washer As is conventional there is frictionally mounted on the 5 Outer end of the tubular stem 30 to be movable therewith an operating cap or button 37 of generally cylindrical form, the button having adischarge opening (not shown) pensing valve assembly thus far described and prior con structions are (1) that the re-entrant tubular part 33 of the container closure 17 is of larger diameter than both the elastomeric washer 14 and the peripheral flange l8 and provides fluid passages 39 and 40 respectively between said peripheries and said tubular part; (2) that the sealing Washer 14 is substantially thicker than conventional washers used in prior devices and in fact is about twice as thick as such conventional washers; (3) that because of said greater thickness the inner edge portion of said inner washer does not break its sealing engagement with the valve stem during its longitudinal movements even when the inner portion of said Washer is subjected to high external fluid pressure exerted thereagainst, as will be described hereinafter and (4) the overall diameter of the operating button 37 is smaller than the diameter of the flange 35.

Because of the aforementioned characteristic differences, the valve assembly as a unit may be attached to a container 11 after the active material to be dispensed therefrom has been placed therein, and the fluid propellant then charged into the container by the pressure filling method without removing the operating button as illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a pressure filling head 49a of larger diameter than the re-entrant tubular member 33 and having an O-ring 41 is positioned over said part 33 to make a fluid tight seal therewith and a low boiling point propellant such as Freon under high pressure is applied to such filling head. Part of the propellant will pass through the operating button 37, through the passages therein, then through the hollow valve stem 39 and orifice 30a thereby unseating the valve 29, against the force of the spring, into abutting engagement with the shoulder 25 and allowing the propellant to pass through the slots 23 and nipple 21 into the container 11. Simultaneously with the flow of propellant through the valve stem 30, the pressure of the propellant will flow through the annular space 36 to, act against the exposed inner portion of the washer 14 and operate to force and deform said washer to provide a passage for the propellant between the flange 35 and the outer face of the washer, then through the passages 39 and 445 into the container 11 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4. The washer 14 is so dimensioned that it will be reduced in thickness under the pressure of the propellant but will maintain the fluid tight seal with the valve stem and the chamber wall portion 20a which latter will prevent the washer from flattening out to seal the passage 39. Of course, when the container has been pressurized and the pressure filling head is removed, the valve 15 will close against the washer 14 and the washer due to its inherent elasticity will return to normal position to provide a fluid tight seal between the housing 12 and the flange 35. Since only the propellant is pressure charged into the container, any residue of the propellant left on the button or container closure will evaporate therefrom almost instantly.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. and 6, a washer 14a of conventional thickness is employed but it is of substantially less diameter than a re-entrant tubular part 17a which is of somewhat greater length than the combined thickness of the washer and the peripheral flange 18a and said greater length of the tubular part is utilized for the interposition of a split deformable annular spring 42 between inwardly staked portions 36a on the re-entrant tubular part 17a and the tubular housing 12 to urge the washer 14a and the flange 35 into leak tight engagement. The spring 42 is relatively flat and has circumferentially spaced undulations 43 and circumferentially spaced angularly disposed flanges 44. The undulated portions bear against a flat shoulder 45 on the underside of the housing flange 18a while the angularly disposed flanges 43 seat on the inwardly staked portions the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and primarily differs therefrom in that as the washer 14a is forced by the propellant pressure out of contact with the flange 35a, the spring 42 will give" or flatten to provide a slight inward or axial movement of the housing 12a relative to the container closure member 17a and in so doing will provide a passage between the flange 35a and the outer surface of the washer 14a which will communicate with the passages between the surrounding portion of the re-entrant container closure part 17a and the peripheries of the washer Ma and flange 18a, then with the openings provided between the flanges 44 of the spring 42 and the interior of the container. After the container has been pressurized and the filling head removed the aerosol valve assembly parts will return to their normal position shown in F IG. 5.

By virtue of the spacing 36 between the inner edge of the flanges 35 or 35a and the outer wall of the valve stem 30 it will be apparent that when manual pressure is applied to the operating button 37 against the forces of the spring 16 and the gas pressure within the container, the applied pressure will either depress or tilt or simultaneously depress and tilt the valve member 15 to move it wholly or partially, out of sealing engagement with the washer 14 or 14a to permit the pressurized contents which normally fill the chamber 13 to pass through the orifice 30a into the tubular stem 30 and out through the discharge opening in the button 37.

Although there has been shown and described two embodiments or" the invention, it will be understood that changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to within the range of mechanical and engineering skill without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What we claim is:

l. A completely assembled aerosol valve unit for closing the open top of a container which may thereupon be pressurized or discharged through said unit which comprises a container closure cap member supporting a tubular housing having therein a chamber formed with axial portions of different diameters, an elastomeric sealing washer seating within the chamber portion of largest diameter and providing a fluid-tight seal with the inner wall of said chamber portion, a valve member having a tubular stem extending upwardly through and slidable in i the hole in the washer with a fluid-tight fit and a spring normally biasing the valve into closing position against said washer; said cap member having an inwardly directed top flange overlying the washer and terminating in a central opening larger than the valve stem exposing the central portion of the washer and an axial tubular portion surrounding said housing and said washer and providing with the peripheries of said housing and said washer communicating fluid passages, and means for normally holding resiliently the sealing washer and the flange overlying the washer in fluid-tight engagement and thereby sealing off fluid communication between the central opening in the top flange and the aforementioned communicating fluid passages, whereby when fluid under pressure is exerted against the exposed central portion of the washer externally of the valve stem and valve chamber through the central opening in the top of the flange, the washer will be displaced by said pressure completely out of sealing engagement with the inwardly extending flange and provide a passage for such fluid from said central opening in the flange to the communicating passages between the axial tubular part of the cap member and the peripheries of said'washer and said tubular housing.

2. An aerosol valve unit according to claim 1, wherein the means for normally holding resiliently the tubular housing, the sealing washer and the flange'overlying the washer in fluid tight engagement comprises interengaging parts on the axial tubular part of the container closure member and the housing which do not obturate the passage of fluid therebetween and the sealing washer is formed of elastomeric material having an axial thickness sufficient to serve as a spring between the tubular housing and the inwardly extending flange on the container closure member and maintain the seal between the washer opening and the exterior of the valve stem when said fluid pressure forces the upper surface or" the washer out of contact with the inwardly extending flange.

3. An aerosol valve unit according to claim 1, wherein eans are provided on at least one of the parts constituting the container closure member and the tubular housing and encompassing the periphery of the sealing washer for preventing the closing of the fluid passage between the periphery of said sealing washer and the axial tubular part of the container closure inem er.

4. An aerosol valve unit according to claim 1, wherein the tubular housing wall which defines the chamber portion of largest diameter is in surrounding relation to the outer periphery of the sealing washer and spaced radially from the axial tubular part of the container closure member.

5. In combination, a pressurizable container and a completely assembled aerosol valve unit having a discharge valve for the container contents and a charging valve for pressurizing the container, said valve unit comprising a tubular housing having a valve chamber formed with axial portions of difierent diameters, an elastomeric sealing washer seating Within the chamber portion of largest diameter, a container closure member having an inwardly extending fiange overlying the washer, an axial tubular part surrounding the periphery of the washer and the periphery of the housing and means engaging the housing and normally holding said washer and housing in fluid tight engagement, a discharge valve member in said chamber having a closed inner end from which projects a hollow stem open at its outer end engaging and slidable in the opening in the washer with a fluid tight fit and having a lateral orifice in proximity to the closed inner end and a spring normally biasing the discharge valve member into sealing engagement with the washer and sealing oil the lateral orifice in the hollow stem from the valve chamber, inward or tilting movement of the valve stem establishing open communication between the valve chamber and the ambient atmosphere, and the charging valve for introducing a fluid propellant into the container, comprising the aforementioned elastomeric sealing washer, the

container closure flange, the inner edge of which terminates in radial spaced relation to the tubular stem to expose the inner edge portion of the washer, the axial tubular part of the container closure which surrounds the periphery of the housing providing therewith a passage for fluid therebetween, said axial tubular part of the container closure being of substantially larger diameter than the Washer, said Washer having an axial thickness to normally extend above the tubular housing and sufficient to serve as a tension spring between the housing and the inwardly extending flange on the container closure member and provide a normally closed valve with said flange, said last mentioned valve being unseatable out of contact with the inwardly extending flange overlying the washer by exterior fluid pressure exerted against the inner edge portion of the washer externally of the valve stem and valve chamber through the central opening in said flange to provide a passage for such iiuid between the top surface of the washer and the overlying flange to the passages between the axial part of said container closure and the peripheries of said washer and said tubular housing to permit charging of said container with such fluid under pressure.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,023,397 12/35 Blorngren 222-542 X 2,717,720 9/55 Nissen 222-542 X 2,781,954 2/57 retz 222-518 X 2,815,889 12/57 Stetz et al 239579 X 2,831,619 4/58 Cowie 21573 X 2,881,808 4/59 St. Germain 141-21 2,883,090 4/59 Remane. 2,890,817 6/59 Rheinstrorn. 2,900,114 8/59 Utz 222542 X 2,937,791 5/ Micallef 222-542 X 3,036,743 5/62 Rhodes et a1. 141-20 X FOREIGN PATENTS 520,804 7/53 Belgium. 544,043 1/56 Belgium.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AEROSOL VALVE UNIT FOR CLOSING THE OPEN TOP OF A CONTAINER WHICH MAY THEREUPON BE PRESSURIZED OR DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID UNIT WHICH COMPRISES A CONTAINER CLOSURE CAP MEMBER SUPPORTING A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING THEREIN A CHAMBER FORMED WITH AXIAL PORTIONS OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS, AN ELASTOMERIC SEALING WASHER SEATING WITHIN THE CHAMBER PORTION OF LARGEST DIAMETER AND PROVIDING A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID CHAMBER PORTION, A VALVE MEMBER HAVING A TUBULAR STEM EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH AND SLIDABLE IN THE HOLE IN THE WASHER WITH A FLUID-TIGHT FIT AND A SPRING NORMALLY BIASING THE VALVE INTO CLOSING POSITION AGAINST SAID WASHER; SAID CAP MEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED TOP FLANGE OVERLYING THE WASHER AND TERMINATING IN A CENTRAL OPENING LARGER THAN THE VALVE STEM EXPOSING THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE WASHER AND AN AXIAL TUBULAR PORTION SURROUNDING SAID HOUSING AND SAID WASHER AND PROVIDING WITH THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID WASHER COMMUNICATING FLUID PASSAGES, AND MEANS FOR NORMALLY HOLDING RESILIENTLY THE SEALING WASHER AND THE FLANGE OVERLYING THE WASHER IN FLUID-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT AND THEREBY SEALING OFF FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CENTRAL OPENING IN THE TOP FLANGE AND THE AFOREMENTIONED COMMUNICATING FLUID PASSAGES, WHEREBY WHEN FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IS EXERTED AGAINST THE EXPOSED CENTRAL PORTION OF THE WASHER EXTERNALLY OF THE VALVE STEM AND VALVE CHAMBER THROUGH THE CENTRAL OPENING IN THE TOP OF THE FLANGE, THE WASHER WILL BE DISPLACED BY SAID PRESSURE COMPLETELY OUT OF SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND PROVIDE A PASSAGE FOR SUCH FLUID FROM SAID CENTRAL OPENING IN THE FLANGE TO THE COMMUNICATING PASSAGES BETWEEN THE AXIAL TUBULAR PART OF THE CAP MEMBER AND THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID WASHER AND SAID TUBULAR HOUSING. 